Improvement in steam-engines



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WM. MONT STORM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND R. CHARLTON MITCHELL, OF SAME PLAGE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,777, dated July 1l, 1865.

To all 'whom it may concern Be itknown that I, WILLIAM MONT STORM, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful form ofSteam-Engine particularly adapted for propellers and portable engines, of which the followin gis a specicatiom The construction of my engine is such as to afford remarkable compactness, strength, and simplicity with the desired qualities of a rotary, `while at the same time its pistons reciprocate in straight lines, there being two single-acting pistons, T T, vibrating horizontally, and one double-actin g piston ,vibratin g vertically. The

this figure being a view of the valves, faces upward,that respectively regulate the ingress and egress of the steam to the vertical and horizontal cylinders B B', Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

The dotted lines on Fig. 4 show the exhaustpassage (cast in the metal) communicating with the exhaust-ports of both cylinders and withv the nal exit c, Figs. 4, 3, and 2.

The piston operating in the vertical cylinder is made double-acting and half the stroke of the other, for purposes of compactness, andas it is proposed to make the vertical cylinder of the same bore as the other, it would be nominally of half the power, while providing that there shall be no cessation of force acting upon the crank during its entire revolution. By the use of a double-acting superposed cylinder with a. shorter stroke I am enabled to get my crankshaft lower down than would be possible with two single-'action pistons in a vertical cylinder similar to the horizontal one.

For convenience of putting together and of examination and repair, I cast the horizontal cylinder in two parts, the cross-heads, cranks, etc., as is seen, being located within the body of the horizontal cylinder and between its two pistons,whose distance apart, 85e., is properly proportioned to this end. This arrangement,

with other merits, aii'ords protection to the parts during transportation and otherwise. The opposite jaws of the cross-heads are strongly connected by proper bolts or by gibs, and between them run brasses, in which the crank-wrists turn. In practice these cross-heads may be made conveniently adjustable, so as to tighten on the brasses to allow for wear.

In lieu of casting the horizontal cylinder in two nearly equal parts (planed and fitted steamtght together previous to boring) a large detachable plate or bonnet" could be provided in its side nexttheband-wheel or pulley, which latterbeingmade convenientlyremovable,such bonnet could also be readily removed and the interior works exposed. I propose to employ ordinary D slide-valves operated on the same principle as that of the cross-heads and cranks. Fig. 5 represents thc latter on a larger scale than that-0f figures previously referred to. It

will be seen that, as the crank-shaft terminates at one extremity near the face of the valveseats and interior to the valve-chest, a pin xud inv that end of the shaft at a proper distance from .its center and parallel with it, and at right angles to the cranks, or nearly so, according to the. desiredamount of lap and lead, and projecting through the slots in the valves A A', would operate them in the usual manner of most D-slide valves, so far as their relative motion is concerned; but, inasmuch as it is essential for engines for propellers to be reversible, I adopt to this end the following device, (see Fig'. 6, enlarged as in Fig. 5:) In lieu ot' fixing the pin d, Figs. 6, 4, and 3, in the end of the shaft itself, it is made a solid part of a disk, e, which is ofthe size of the shaft, and which has a tang or center pin, j', also solid, projecting centrally into the shaft G. Fig. 7 shows this disk and the shaft end on, so to speak.

Now, it will be observed, so far as described, that the disk could turn independently of the shaft; but by means of the stop-pin h, (shown in red, Fig. (5,) which is fixed in the end of the shaft, the disk is prevented from turning more than half its circumference, except it does so with the shaft. The pin d, after passing through the slots x x in the valves, projects into a hole (see Figs. 6 and 3) in a disk, t',

which abuts against the interior of and has a bearing-shaft, j, in and through the bonnet 7c, Figs. 2 and 3, ot' the valve-chest, outside of which,and on the end ofj, and turning with the crank-shaft when the engine is in motion, is a small hand-wheel, l. Now, it will be understood byan expert that by stopping the engine, or nearly so, and turning the wheel l in the direction in which the enginewas previously running, the disk c, with the pin (l, will be turned half-way round, the valves corre,- spondingly moved, and the engine reversed, the then corresponding notch of disk @resting over the stop-pin 7L, (shown in red in Fig. 6,) and being there kept by the corresponding direction of the rotation of the crank-shaft, this device thus performing lthe functions of what is known as a loose eccentric.

M is the pulley or band-wheel from which motion to other mechanisms is to be imparted. llhe pistons are cast hollow or skeleton, that their momentum and inertia may be the more easily overcome at each reversal of the direction of' their motion. As a high velocity of piston is anticipated as permissible in this engine, Igive the steam sides of the horizontal pistons (see z z', Fig. l) an overhang, so that they present to the pressure ofthe steam a slightlyinclined plane, so that the friction otherwise resulti ng from their gravity shall be relieved,

as will be understood.

By the formation of the parts Ihave endeavrred to avoid the necessity of stuffing-boxes. I have also anticipated opening a communication, n n, (seeFigs. 3 and 4,) from the exhaust passage or chamber o (see same figures) to the crank-chamber, also containing the crossheads, &c., that the condensed water might act as a lubricant, assuming that such water being hot, as are also the parts lubricated by it, the water would evaporate after the engine was stopped and pass out through the exhaust-pipe, and so cause little or no rust. I have also anticipated the use of counterpart cross-heads, or, in other words, two at equal distances from the center ot' either the horizontal or vertical pistons, that the thrust should be balanced, but do not deem it materially necessary. This remark is made because, as would he observed, the crossheads appertaining to the horizontal pistons are connected and shown (see Fig. 3) eccentric to the latter. I havealso anticipated making the lowerstem or guide, p, (see Figs. l and 3,) appertaining to the cross-head of the vertically-vibratingpiston q, to serve, with its sheath or socketp, as a feed-pump, the necessary valves, packing, and connection being easily supplied, should it prove desirable. r r (see Fig. 3) show the steam-passagesl to the vertical cylinder, and 1" rf, Fig. 2, those of the horizontal cylinder.

It will be perceived that the horizontalv cylinder alone would act in effect as an ordinary reciprocating engine, yet the superposed conjointly-actin g cylinderis very desirable. As a substitute for the overhang before spoken of, a communication may be made through the horizontal piston-heads and their packingrings at their lower portions, as shown in red, c fr, Fig. l.

Though the lower portion ofthe valve-chest is not occupied, I prefer to make the valvechesta complete circle for convenience of turning off and of finish.

Having now fully described Iny invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

l. An engine constituted as follows, to wit: ot' a cylinder containing two single-acting pistons rigidly connected by'open crossheads, substantially as described, to the crank, both of the latter (crank and cross-head) being located within the body of such cylinder and between its pistons, the whole being proportioned and arranged to this end as set forth.

2. In combination with the above, the superposed cylinder or engine B, to act upon a crank parallel to the first and ou the same shaft, also through the mediation of a cross-head located in the same chamber between the pistons of the horizontal cylinder, substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

3. The arrangement whereby' the stroke of the piston of such superposed engine is made considerably less than those of the horizontal one, so that the length of its cross-head, as will be understood, may not render necessary an undue separation ofthe horizontal-pistons, thus occupying unnecessary space, while the combined-action ot' the whole device obviates a dead-point, Src. Y

4. Making the pistons of the horizontal cylinder with an overhang, for the purpose described.

5. Ihe pin'd, projecting longitudinally with but eccentric to the shaft, and rotating with it, to operate the valve by tit-.ting slots .r in their tails at right angles to the lines ot their motion, all as explained.

6. The combination ot' the parts efh j l, constituting the reversing-gear, as described.

Y/VM. MONT STORM.

Witnesses:

Jas. F. WIGHTMAN, JOHN W. MARTIN. 

